Call on the Healers

By: Jamilah Harris

About The Poem

‘Call on the Healers’ addresses life during the outbreak of Covid-19, exploring the effects of the global pandemic and quarantine. She combined the release of her poem with a visual presentation of a Covid-19 lockdown street photography series, which captures life on the streets of London, UK during the peak of the lockdown restrictions https://youtu.be/CFvZNX835Vw. This series was photographed during the time when individuals or members of the same household were allowed to leave the house for one form of exercise per day, for example: a walk or run, for a maximum of one hour and essential shopping only.

The Poem

The masses can’t find what they’re looking for on supermarket shelves
On the 11th of March 2020 the World Health Organisation declare global pandemic help help help
Government spread Stay at Home message to the ends of the earth
Social distancing begins
Humans are hiding
Summer 2020 might be rescheduled to front rooms, balconies and gardens
This is war, but we can’t attack
Just keep your distance
It’s time to practice neutrality don’t react
2020 was supposed to be everybody’s year
Multitudes now masked more than ever
Unveiling indoors
Swaying swords to face well-kept demons
Individuals broken down to essence
Discovering more about self in solitude severed from societies interjection
The soul’s intervention is triggered during quarantine
The opium of the people is inaccessible
Reefers are running low
How do we find God
When places of worship are closed
Some of us continue to WFH
Whilst others have been furloughed
Because business is slow
We’re all stuck at home
For how long nobody knows
Jesus isn’t here to lay hands on those inflicted
This virus is wicked
Protect your pastures
The pathogen paves its way between people and pastors
Sober minds do not perform misconduct during quarantine
In South Africa they put a bar on booze
Meanwhile in London
There’s no food left,
The wine shelves are empty
It’s easy to predict that alcohol would be next
But blackouts won’t make us forget
Like true love swooping the chosen off their feet
We’ll always remember this moment
But for some lockdown feels more like a house party
Have you downloaded the app?
The divorce rate is increasing in China
People are discovering more about their partners
There’s a baby boom
Is this nature, bioterrorists or the Nature of God?
Zoonotic virus, 5G, and Satan combined?
We call on the healers
Apollo god of music, poetry, prophecy, medicine and light
The health workers, WhatsApp warning messages
To soothe the tides that have drawn near
Causing tears to fill our oceans
Deep like waters taking souls away with mermaids
Feeling more tired during the day
Cat naps might swoop you away
It might not all be better once you’re awake
But it will all be over someday
No situation is permanent,
This one is a waiting game
Whilst some have secured lockdown baes
Some conversations will remain in quarantine after the lockdown days
One day will our neighbours offer toilet paper as a peace offering,
And leave some pasta on the shelves?
Will there be any flour left to bake with?
Our days are turning into day mares
Half an hour seems like half a week
It has become more common to command your loves ones to “stay safe”
Whilst waiting for the end of this chapter in our quarantine days
Death, taxes, and flu pandemics all unavoidable
Self-isolated but remember you’re not in this alone
The masses can’t find what they’re looking for on supermarket shelves
On the 11th of March 2020 the World Health Organisation declare global pandemic help help help call on the healers